Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and COO Stephen Jones discuss matters during the opening pick of the NFL Draft at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on April 24, 2025. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)
Tom Fox
Making a trade during the NFL draft is part of Jerry Jones’ ecosystem.
The Cowboys’ owner and general manager has made 73 draft day deals since purchasing the franchise in 1989.
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He traded up in the 1990 draft, selecting Emmitt Smith at No. 17 overall. Later, Smith would become the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and a Hall of Famer.
In 1991, Jones traded three players and a second-round pick to draft Russell Maryland No. 1 overall.
He moved from No. 14 to No. 6, while also giving up a second-rounder, before drafting Morris Claiborne in 2012.
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Jones also made a deal with his NFC East rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, in 2021. He moved down from No. 10 to No. 12 before drafting Micah Parsons.
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Those are some of the more notable deals under Jones. When the draft arrives April 23, Jones once again will be on the clock with an opportunity to make a trade for a franchise in need of improving a defense badly bereft of talent.
The Cowboys have two first-round picks, No. 12 and No. 20, valuable draft capital that might be used to trade up or trade down.
“I’ve looked at that mirror a lot, about how to go up and down and trade and do those kinds of things,” Jones said. “And absolutely, we’ll entertain improving or an in-draft read on what gives us a better chance to get another player, and still have our pick and the red meat of top players.”
This would be the seventh time in franchise history the Cowboys draft two players in the first round. The last time the Cowboys had two first-round picks was 2008 when Felix Jones (No. 22) and Mike Jenkins (No. 25) were picked.
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Having two picks in the first round gives the Cowboys options.
They have a need at inside linebacker, pass rusher and cornerback.
This draft is rich with talented pass rushers who fit in the Cowboys’ 3-4 scheme that requires big defensive ends with long arms and quick moves to reach the quarterback.
After not securing a deal to sign an inside linebacker in free agency, the Cowboys turn toward the draft. Club officials said they’re not afraid to draft a rookie and insert him at middle linebacker. This draft has plenty of them.
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Finding a cornerback, particularly one that plays the slot, is also of importance. Jones mentioned how the team didn’t value nickel corner enough after the departure of Jourdan Lewis in free agency last year.
These needs are on a list that lay on the desks of Cowboys’ officials seeking improvement for their team.
“Excited,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said of having two first-round picks. “The unpredictability of it, you don’t know how it’s going to go. You really have no idea. There’s always a surprise or two. As these last couple of pro days happen and these last couple of 30 visits happen, we really kind of clean up our board.”
During the draft process, the Cowboys have reportedly held Top 30 visits with linebacker Sonny Styles, cornerbacks Keionte Scott and Mansoor Delane and held discussions with pass rushers David Bailey, Arvell Reese and Rueben Bain Jr.
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Having draft capital — eight picks, two fewer than at the start of last year’s draft — is a benefit. The Cowboys could use one of their three fifth-round selections as an extra pick paired with a first-rounder to climb from No. 12.
Getting an extra pick on Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) is also of interest. The Cowboys started the offseason without a Day 2 pick, but trading defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to San Francisco brought a return of a third-rounder (No. 92 overall).
“We’ve had our best work, we had four and five times the draft capital back in the early years that I was involved in NFL of an average team,” Jones said. “And we missed on some, we missed on some trades, but we nailed a few. The main thing is because we had that much capital, we were probably cutting and shooting more at that particular time. We certainly had some success during that time. Probably nothing affects in the draft being able, this is an obvious statement, but nothing, no amount of skill, no amount of knowledge, can beat having a lot of draft capital, having a lot of picks. That’ll win most of the time.”
The Cowboys could also — yes, get ready — trade one of their first-round picks to get a veteran player. If Las Vegas wants to re-enter trade talks for edge rusher Maxx Crosby, the Cowboys would give up one of their first-round selections. The No. 20 pick seems reasonable to trade for Crosby.
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Those are just some of the possibilities the Cowboys have with their draft capital.
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Of the 325 players drafted by the Cowboys since 1989, 113 were picked via trades.
So is Jerry Jones willing to move up again?
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“Absolutely,” Schottenheimer said. “Jerry is never afraid of making deals.”